Project G Part 1 - GODZILLA, RODAN, & VARAN: THE BATTLE OF FUKUOKA
by DHT
Summary: The first in a new series, featuring a new origin story for Godzilla. In the 1950s, an ill-timed nuclear test awakens dozens of kaiju to terrorize mankind. A young scientist believes there is one kaiju that could save humanity from the others.
1. The Egg of Odo Island

The end of the 1954 typhoon season had many in the affected areas, particularly Japan, worried for their safety. Operation Conqueror, a series of American nuclear tests in the supposedly unpopulated Adona Islands east of Japan, had been delayed well beyond its intended start date in July, but in October the first test was carried out despite the risk of typhoons. Sure enough, only a few days after the test, storm activity was detected in the area. By the end of the month, a typhoon had passed through the Adonas and crossed Odo Island, a mere 100 miles from the Japanese coast, dissipating shortly afterward. Following an investigation, the island was declared to be safe enough for the evacuated inhabitants to return.

A few days later, the School of Paleontology at Yamane University of Biology in Tokyo received a telegram informing them that "a specimen of possible interest to your studies" had been found on the island. A young professor named Kumi Honda was sent by boat to investigate. She arrived on Odo in the early afternoon of November 3rd to find the island village seemingly deserted, despite most of the buildings still standing. One man, a young American scientist, was there to greet her.

"Welcome to Odo Island, Doctor Honda," he said as they shook hands. "I'm Doctor Adam Yuma of the International Commission on Radiological Protection."

"Glad to meet you, Doctor Yuma," she replied. "Where is everybody?"

Yuma motioned for her to listen; sounds of music drifted down from atop a nearby hill. "There's something going on at the temple," he explained. "They believe something supernatural has occurred, so now they're doing some kind of kabuki ritual or something."

"Ah, that sounds...interesting," said Honda. "Shall we take a look?"

Yuma smiled and nodded. "Sure."

A short walk later, they stood at the back of a crowd gathered around the temple. On a raised platform were several performers in ritualistic costumes dancing to somber music. One dancer wore a black robe and dragon mask adorned with two silver horns. Another was a young woman in a crimson kimono with her face painted white. These two danced facing one another while others dressed as tengu circled them.

"Fascinating," said Yuma, scratching his chin. "What do you think it means?"

"If I recall correctly," Honda explained, "these people believe in an ancient sea dragon called Godzilla..."

As soon as she said the name, several people seated in back turned to look at them nervously for a moment before returning their attention to the stage.

Honda continued, "In the past, whenever the fishing was poor, they would send a young woman out on a raft as a sacrifice to the dragon to bring back the fish. That is probably what the woman and the man in the horned mask represent. They're trying to ward off the monster's wrath with this ritual."

Yuma was silent and continued to watch the performance, apparently worried about something.

"I'm sure it's just a myth," said Honda in hopes of reassuring him.

Yuma remained silent a moment longer before saying, "I think it's time that you had a look at that specimen we called you here to see."

He led Honda to a small cove nearby where a great deal of debris had been washed ashore. Amongst the debris was what appeared to be an egg, at least two meters long and one meter tall. Honda froze in her tracks, eyes and mouth open wide.

Yuma looked at her, then at the egg, then back. "Any idea what kind of egg that is?

Honda blinked twice, but her eyes remained wide as she replied. "Yeah...yeah, I think so."

"I checked it with a Geiger counter. It's not dangerous, but I still wouldn't touch it with bare hands." Yuma produced a pair of gloves and handed them to Honda, who slipped them on silently and advanced slowly, excitedly but with apprehension, toward the egg.

First, she ran her hands down the length of it. "It certainly has the general appearance of a dinosaur egg, but I don't think we've ever found one this big before. It appears to be intact. Whatever is in here hasn't hatched...yet."

"Yet?" Yuma walked up behind her, keeping at least two arms' lengths away from the egg. "This thing has to be a million years old, right? It's just a fossil."

"A fossilized egg would just be rock," said Honda, rummaging through her satchel. "This looks brand new. If it _is _millions of years old, it's been well preserved" She scraped a fine layer of the outer shell into a sample dish, then examined it under a magnifying glass. "Well preserved, indeed."

"Do you think it _could _hatch?"

"That would depend on how much it's been through and how developed the embryo is. This egg could very well have been carried a long distance by the storm, in which case it must've taken quite a beating. If it's still fairly early in its development, it probably wouldn't be viable after all that, even if it's seen only moderate radiation exposure."

"What do you want to do with it?"

Honda placed the sample and tools in her satchel, then sighed. "I would love to watch it hatch and observe it in its natural environment, but like I said that probably won't happen, and even if it does, the locals might destroy it out of fright."

"So?"

"So I'll take it back to the institute so my colleagues and I can study it more thoroughly. Provided your superiors do not object, of course."

Yuma shrugged. "It's not dangerously radioactive and Odo is under Japanese jurisdiction, so it would be up to your people, not mine."

"Alright," said Honda. "Thank you, Doctor Yuma. Now, how can I send a message to the mainland from here?"

* * *

The egg was carefully transported to Japan and placed in an unused room at Yamane University's research center; a bed of straw was prepared and special instruments were set up to monitor heat, radiation, and movement within the egg. The news media was abuzz with excitement, and soon headlines around the world announced the discovery of the so-called Odo Egg. Honda spent a great deal of her time studying the egg, hoping to find some kind of clue as to its age and species. However, she also continued to teach at the university. On the last day of lectures, she was approached after class by a man about five years older than her wearing a press badge and carrying a camera.

"Excuse me, Doctor Honda. I'm Koichi Yamada with Maicho Press."

"Oh, yes. You do that column _Mysteries of the 20__th__ Century_."

Yamada grinned eagerly. "Ah, so you've read it! Tell me, do you like my work?"

"I do. It's not exactly hard science, but it's fun to read."

"Good! That's my goal with this project: to entertain. My sister's kids love it, and seeing how happy it makes them...Oh, I better stop there before I start rambling! Do you have a few minutes? I'd like to talk to you about the egg."

"Sure. Follow me."

Honda walked them out of the education building and toward the research center. As they walked, Yamada asked questions and wrote her answers on a small notepad.

"Tell me, Doctor. What species do you think this egg belongs to?"

"We still don't know. We've never seen an egg this large before from any creature. We can only guess that it's some kind of reptile."

"Would you care to give an estimate as to how large the adult creature would be?"

"It would have to be a blind guess."

"Really? Couldn't you calculate it by comparing egg-to-adult size ratios for other animals?"

"It's not that simple, actually. Large eggs take longer to incubate, which puts them at a higher risk for predation. Because of that, even the largest dinosaurs laid relatively small eggs. Diplodocus was as big as a blue whale, but its egg was about the same size as an ostrich's. Yet this one is large enough that a grown man could lay inside it."

"Strange. Why do you think that is?"

"The most plausible reason I can think of would be if the embryo needed to incubate for a very long time, like if it was intended to remain dormant for extended periods. As to what advantage that would give the organism, I can't even begin to guess."

By now they had reached the research center. Yamada opened the door for Honda to enter. "Suppose the creature was able to incubate rapidly despite its size?" he asked as they continued down the hall.

"I hadn't thought of that. Seems pretty unlikely; it would require a lot of energy, more than it would probably have while in the egg. Either that or its mother would need to carry the embryo inside her to a late enough point that it would probably just give birth live, instead."

When they arrived at the egg room, two of her fellow professors, Hirose and Nakayama, were examining the egg closely. As the door closed, both turned to look at her, then to each other.

"You see now?"

"Yes. I don't know why that is, but..."

"See what?" asked Honda. "Is something wrong?"

Hirose put one hand on the egg. "Funny thing. A few days back, I...who's this?"

Yamada showed his press badge. "I'm with Maicho Press. My name's..."

"Sorry, sir," said Nakayama, putting his hand on the reporter's shoulder. "We need to speak with Doctor Honda in private for a few minutes. My office is two doors down from here on the right side. If you could just wait in there, we'll be with you shortly."

Yamada gave a frown of disappointment, then shrugged and headed for the door. "Okay. Just let me know when you're ready for me."

"Will do," said Honda. "Thanks."

Once Yamada had left, Hirose opened an envelope and pulled out a color picture. It showed the egg, glowing bright red. "This started a couple days ago," he explained. "I first saw it when I had a shift in here right after yours. The instruments started acting funny, giving erratic readings like there was some kind of interference. I checked it with a Geiger counter and didn't pick up anything. I talked to Nakayama and neither of us could make anything of it. The egg glowed throughout my entire shift."

Honda took the picture and looked over it carefully. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Hirose looked surprised. He turned to Nakayama and said, "Didn't you tell her about it?"

"I thought _you _did, Hirose! You're the one who saw it first."

"Oh...well, anyway. Honda, yesterday you had a shift directly after mine; I noticed the egg had stopped glowing right as I was leaving, and when I left the room you were coming down the hall. I didn't make anything of it at the time, but then I got to thinking. I knew you'd be coming in right after me today, too, so I had Nakayama come take a look at it. Sure enough, it was glowing, but it stopped seconds before you walked in the door."

Honda handed the picture back to Hirose. "What do you think it means?"

Hirose folded his arms. "Nakayama has an idea. I'll let him explain it."

"It's just a guess," said Nakayama, "but I think the embryo might have imprinted on you."

"Imprinted?" Honda's eyes widened. Her tone was that of surprise mixed with skepticism. "You think that whatever is in that egg thinks I'm its mother?"

"It's a possibility. You were the first one to touch it, and you're the only woman on staff who's been near it frequently. It's possible that the energy signature is some kind of beacon to attract its mother. When you're not here, it beckons, but when you return, it calms down."

Honda scratched her head. "Weird. And you say this started two days ago?"

"Right."

Honda stepped closer to the egg and pressed her right hand up against it. "I wonder if this means it'll hatch soon. Nakayama, could you ask one of the night guards to stay close and watch the egg?"

"Sure thing."

"Good. We should monitor this egg as much as possible so that we can be ready when it hatches. This animal is coming into an environment very different from its home; it might need veterinary help to stay alive. Now, if you'll excuse me, Mister Yamada is waiting for me in your office."

* * *

A few days later, Honda awoke early in the morning to a telephone call.

"Hello," she murmured into the transmitter. "This is Kumi Honda."

"Honda, it's Hirose. I think the egg is about to hatch."

Honda was upright in a flash. "Are you sure?"

"The glow is brighter than before, it's shaking, and the readings are all over the place."

"I'll be there as soon as possible!"

When she arrived a short time later, the egg was still glowing and shaking. Hirose and Nakayama were staring as though transfixed. "It's not calming down," said Nakayama, "even with you here. Something's definitely up."

A ringing sound suddenly filled the air. One of the instruments blew, throwing out sparks. Hirose and Nakayama jumped backward and covered their ears, but Honda found herself compelled toward the egg. She did not know why at the time, but it was as though a voice were crying out to her and she could not resist. She ran forward and put both hands on the side of the egg.

Hirose shouted, "Honda! Get back!"

However, as soon as she touched it, the egg's glowing and trembling began to subside, the ringing sound disappeared, and the instruments returned to normal. The room was still and quiet. Then the first crack appeared on the egg.

"Come on!" Nakayama hissed between his teeth. "Get away from there!"

Honda stepped back as the egg continued to break apart. Large chunks of shell fell to the floor. A long tail and two large, powerful arms emerged from the egg and battered away the shell until the creature within was free. Honda and her colleagues had not known what to expect, but what they saw defied any predictions they could have made.

Amongst the remnants of the obliterated shell stood a reptile, though what kind they did not know. It stood about two meters tall with a tail at least the same length over again, much larger than any dinosaur hatchling. Its scales were green-grey and a row of bony protrusions ran from the crown of its head along its back, almost to the tip of its tail. Strangely, the creature's build was unlike any other dinosaur. It had features of the suborder theropoda – a bipedal stance, sharp teeth and claws, strong jaws – but was distinctly different. It stood not just bipedal but almost fully upright, and its arms were rather manlike. Its head was shorter and not as long as a theropod's; its skull would look more like that of a bear. Even then, its eyes were disproportionately large, almost the size of a man's hands, and they were bright yellow with jet black centers.

The reptile stood motionless, gazing intently at Honda. Then it let out a high-pitch moan and advanced toward her, its tongue trailing from the corner of its mouth.

"Honda!" Nakayama hissed under his breath. "Come away!"

She did not hear him. All she could hear was the dinosaur's footsteps and gentle cooing. She knew that by all logic she should afraid; the creature was obviously predatory and would definitely be hungry right out of the egg. Yet while she may have been excited, confused, and uncertain, she was most definitely not afraid.

The dinosaur stopped right in front of her and lowered its head, still drooling everywhere. Its eyes filled with the familiar red glow, albeit fainter, and Honda felt the strange sensation again, like a small voice pleading with her. She put her hand up to the reptile's mouth.

"Honda!" Nakayama hissed again. "What the hell are you doing?"

The dinosaur licked between Honda's fingers, which tickled and caused her to giggle. The red glow disappeared again and the creature brushed its cheek against hers, making a low growling sound in its throat similar to a cat's purr.

Hirose approached to get a better look. "Amazing!" he exclaimed. "I've never seen a specimen like this before!"

The dinosaur raised its head to look at him, and again its eyes glowed and Honda felt as though it were somehow speaking to her. She reached out and stroked the dinosaur's head; its eyes darkened again and she felt relaxed.

Hirose chuckled as he reached out to touch the animal's neck. "He's a marvelous creature, isn't he? To think that he may have been dormant for millions of years only to emerge here and now."

"What should we call him?" asked Honda.

"Well," said Nakayama, "he's your discovery. I think you should name him!"

Honda stroked the reptile's chin, causing it to close its eyes and incline its head. It was an expression of satisfaction, but one that gave the animal a look of regal pride. Her thoughts returned to the Odo Island ceremony and the dancer in the dragon mask. "_Godzillasaurus odo._"

Hirose was surprised. "Godzilla? Like the sea monster?"

"Yes," said Honda. "It's a good name, isn't it? Strong, mysterious, and beautiful...just like our little guy here! Isn't that right, Godzilla-san?" The dinosaur wagged its tail like a dog as Honda rubbed his neck.


	2. A Magnificent Specimen

In the following weeks, Honda spent most of her free time caring for Godzilla. At first she was puzzled by the creature's eating habits, or rather the lack thereof. She brought in a whole plucked chicken for him to eat, but he merely swallowed a small mouthful and then picked at it indifferently. She could not help but laugh at how strange he looked while examining the chicken; the way he stood upright while holding it in his hands and alternately sniffing, gnawing, prodding, or holding it up close to his eyes looked very much like a child's movements, which, contrasted with his otherwise inhuman appearance, was funny-looking and rather adorable. However amusing that may have been, though, Honda was concerned that finding the right food for Godzilla would be difficult. She tried everything she could think of: fish, shellfish, pork, beef, any kind of meat she could get her hands on. She went so far as to research the types of fish in the Odo Island area for ideas, and at one point even offered him various fruits and vegetables. His reaction was always the same: examine the food, take a bite, look over it a bit more, and then ignore it.

Honda became worried that Godzilla might starve if she did not find a solution soon. Thinking about the radioactive pollution he must have been exposed to, she did some reading and was dismayed to find that radiation exposure could result in a loss of appetite. Was it possible that he was sick from the radiation? Becoming more and more worried, she contacted the Hiroshima International Center of Radiotherapeutics, one of the top-ranked radiation research facilities in the world. The next day, Doctor Yuma, the man she had met on Odo Island, arrived at her office.

"Oh! Hello, Doctor Yuma!"

"Surprised to see me again?" he asked with a friendly smile.

"I suppose so. I guess I was expecting...well..."

"Another Japanese?" Yuma chuckled warmly as he sat down. "I've actually been working at the Hiroshima center since they first opened. I was a medical officer during the war and was stationed in Japan during the occupation. I saw how the people of Hiroshima were suffering and felt that I had to help them, so...here I am. Now, where's that lovely lizard of yours?"

Honda led him to Godzilla's room. When they entered, Godzilla was waiting at the door to see Honda, wagging his tail.

"Well, I'll be damned," said Yuma, eyes bulging. "The pictures in the paper don't do it justice. Check this guy out! Can I, uh...pet him?"

"Sure! He'll be perfectly calm as long as I'm here." Honda touched a finger to Godzilla's nose. "Won't you, little man? Be gentle now!" Godzilla closed his eyes and purred while Yuma looked him over.

"I may not be an expert on reptile anatomy," he said, "but this animal doesn't look even remotely malnourished to me. How old is he now?"

"About a month."

"And you said he'll barely eat anything you give him?"

"Yes."

"Strange. Is there an X-ray machine on the premises?"

"Yes, in the medical wing. Come on, I'll lead the way."

"Shouldn't we leave him here and bring the X-ray to this room? It's pretty cold out today."

"Oh, he's warm-blooded; we checked. I took him outside once when it was colder than this _and_ snowing, and it didn't bother him a bit. He'll be fine."

Honda took Godzilla by the hand and they all went outside. It was the beginning of the winter term and campus was bustling with activity. When the students caught site of the baby dinosaur, many of them cheered and over a dozen flocked around him, hoping to touch him. This made Yuma nervous. "Is he going to be alright with all this commotion?'

Honda put her arm around Godzilla's shoulders. "He's gotten used to being a celebrity of sorts, and like I said, as long as I'm with him, he'll be fine. "

The students adored Godzilla, who had become a kind of unofficial mascot for the university, putting them in the international spotlight and attracting attention from all over the world. They started up a racket with all their questions and exclamations, but he remained calm.

"He's so cute! Why'd you name him after some scary old sea monster?"

"Do you think there's more of them? I want one for my own!"

"I think we should name our team after him!"

"Ooh, look at those teeth! Hate to be on the receiving end of those!"

"Okay, everyone," Honda interrupted. "I'm sorry, but we have to take Godzilla-san to the medical wing for his checkup. You might be able to see him again in a little while, but for now we have to get going."

The students dispersed, still chattering excitedly. Yuma chuckled, "Their poor professors, having to keep the attention of students in class right after they've seen a dinosaur in the flesh!"

In the radiography room, Honda continued to hold Godzilla's arm to comfort him while Yuma set up the machine. Once it was ready, she stepped out of the way and Yuma turned it on. Immediately Godzilla's eyes opened wide and he stood straight up. Honda thought he was getting scared, but his eyes did not light up.

"Okay," said Yuma, looking into the fluoroscope, "let's see what's up with this little guy. Helloooo, what's this?" He pointed out an object in Godzilla's chest. It was ovular with vein-like branches running down the length of his spine. The central structure was glowing brightly in the fluoroscope, and the branches appeared to be throbbing.

Honda peeked over the top of the fluoroscope and gasped. "Look!"

The bony plates on Godzilla's back were glowing, as well, bright blue. He also seemed to be flexing his chest and his eyes were closed, a peaceful expression on his face.

"Incredible!" said Yuma. "I think he's absorbing radiation from the machine!"

"What? How could that be?"

Yuma turned the radiograph off; immediately Godzilla relaxed his stance and his spines stopped glowing. "Now watch this," said Yuma, turning the machine back on. They both watched in the fluoroscope as the strange organ slowly turned bright white again and the blue light reappeared. Yuma explained. "Based on the reaction going on here, it seems he's taking in some kind of energy and metabolizing it. The reaction started when I activated the machine and stopped when I turned it off. This X-ray machine uses a form of radiation, so maybe he's somehow evolved to process that energy."

"Why would that be? Wouldn't that make it harder for the organism to find an energy source than if it just ate food like anything else?"

"Well, it might be that he could absorb other forms of radiation, like UV rays from sunlight; this here might just be a response to a larger than normal energy intake, so he's absorbing as much as he can at once. What's more, if he processes it by means of nuclear fission, it might reach a point where his energy production is self-sustaining. That would allow for a dramatically increased growth rate."

"I suppose that explains how the egg could be so large."

Godzilla's eyes abruptly snapped open as the blue light on his back became more intense. The fluoroscope flickered and went out. Honda and Yuma cautiously backed away. Godzilla reared forward and blue sparks shot from his mouth, crackling harmlessly on the floor. The fluoroscope turned itself back on, and Godzilla reverted to his resting position as though nothing had happened. Laughing at themselves for being frightened by nothing, Yuma and Honda switched off the machine and led Godzilla back to his room.

"By the way," said Yuma as they arrived, "you mentioned that he's become attached to you and doesn't get afraid as long as you're near him..."

"Yes. In fact...I didn't say this in my interview for Koichi Yamada's column, but I think Godzilla might have imprinted on me."

"Really? That's...unusual, to say the least. Have you had to teach or train him at all?"

Honda thought for a moment. "No, actually. Come to think of it, he responds to my words almost as though he understands them."

"Oh! Um...care to give me a demonstration?"

"Sure!" Honda turned to Godzilla and made eye contact with him as Yuma watched. "Godzilla-san, give the nice man a big, sloppy kiss!"

"Wait, WHAT?"

Godzilla opened his mouth to reveal his long, wet, pink tongue, dripping with saliva, and ran it across his guest's face. Yuma stumbled back, mouth and eyes scrunched close as he tried to wipe the viscous goo from his face.

Honda burst out laughing. "Does that convince you?"

Yuma blinked his eyes and puffed saliva away from his mouth until he could see and speak. "Just kill me now."

Honda could not keep herself from laughing even louder. "I'm sorry! But you saw that, right? He immediately did what I told him to do!"

"And you _pfft_ did that without having to _pfft_ train him?"

"Right. Oh, here, sorry!" She handed him a handkerchief.

"Thanks!" Yuma wiped himself down and looked at his watch. "As much, as I'd like to stay, I have a train to catch and I'd better towel off properly. It's been nice seeing you again," he said, shaking hands with Honda, "and getting to meet this cool little guy. I might come again soon, if you don't mind."

"Not a bit. Oh, one more thing!" She handed him sample jar and vial. "Some blood and skin tissue. I thought you might want to analyze them."

"That I will. Thank you! See you around!"

* * *

Honda awoke in the middle of the following night, drenched in sweat and short of breath. She had a terrible feeling that Godzilla was in trouble. In a hurry, she threw on a robe, hopped in her car, and sped toward the campus, a drive that normally took twenty minutes but which she finished in twelve in her haste. It began to snow on the way, but she was oblivious in her current state to the cold or the slippery road conditions; her mind was laser focused on her little friend and his predicament. She arrived to find police outside the building where Godzilla had been kept, and her heart sank.

Nakayama was speaking to a police officer when he saw her exit her car and approach. "Honda!" he called. "It's gone! It just broke loose!"

Honda could not find the voice to yell back, so she came closer to him and said, in a choked in whimper, "How did it happen?"

"We don't know, but they found the door wide open." Nakayama pointed a security guard being loaded into the back of an ambulance on a stretcher. "One of our guys saw it, but it was dark so he thought someone was breaking in and he opened fire."

"Oh, God, no!" she cried, trying to hold back tears. "Was he hit?"

"We don't know, but the guard said it breathed some kind of gas on him or something and it burned his chest. He passed out right after they found him." Nakayama stepped closer and spoke in a lowered, grave voice. "Look, we don't know if he's going to make it or not, but if he doesn't, we can't count on anyone's mercy. They'll hunt it down, and even if they don't kill it, they'll take it away from us and put it in some government laboratory. So don't get your hopes up."

"You seem to have given up already!" said Honda, tears now beginning to flow. "You keep calling him 'it', like he's just a specimen to be looked over, but he's not!"

"Kumi-chan-"

"Don't give me that 'Kumi-chan' business, you...you-!"

"Calm down! No need for that kind of talk. I understand what he means to you. I'm sorry if I was callous. We're all a little upset right now, but I just need you to keep calm while the police sort this out."

All Honda really wanted to do at that moment was take off to look for Godzilla. However, she knew that doing so would be pointless as he could be anywhere by that point: in the middle of the nearby forest, or swimming downstream toward the ocean, or even heading into the city. In her state of frustration, she only gradually became aware that she could no longer sense him. Had he been mortally wounded by the security guard? Was he out of range? She could not stop herself from worrying, but she was also completely exhausted, and her head felt heavy from sleepiness.

Nakayama took her by the arm. "Here, I'll take you back to your house. Take the day off tomorrow; I insist. You'll feel better if you have time to think things through. I'm sure it...I mean, _he_ will be back soon. Come on, let's go."

Honda fell into a daze. Everything that happened between getting into Nakayama's car and falling back asleep in her bed was a blur. All she could recall was the strange sense emptiness; Godzilla had only been a part of her life for a few months, but it felt like an eternity, and now he might be gone forever.

* * *

Honda awoke the next morning, still feeling worried and angry. She fixed a cup of tea and turned on the radio to hear if Godzilla had been found yet.

"_It has been confirmed that the monster has killed a security guard at Yamane University and has been sighted in the vicinity of Yokohama. The police are scouring the area to find it, and lethal force has been authorized..."_

Honda turned off the radio and looked for something to do to distract herself. She tried reading a book, playing her guitar, and riding her bicycle, but she could not keep her mind occupied for long before she began to worry again. After a few hours, she gave up and turned on her television set. She flipped through a few stations to find the news and nearly jumped out of her skin when she Godzilla on screen. It was a live feed from a news helicopter, and it looked like he was running into a sandy area from the fringe of a forest, perhaps on the Miura Peninsula.

"_We're closing in on him now!"_ said the reporter. _"There's a defense force chopper off to the other side of us and they're preparing to fire. I think they have a clear shot now and...they're firing! I think they've got him! They have! He's going down!"_

As Godzilla fell to the ground, Honda felt a sharp pain in the back of her head accompanied by a feeling of sheer terror. She could not control herself; she threw her hands over her eyes and shrieked. The pain and fear lasted for only a split second, then she felt the connection sever.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, the hunt is over! The authorities have succeeded in their mission, and the monster is now dead. The only thing left now is to collect the body and...wait, I think he's moving! Yes, he's getting up!"_

Honda felt the mental connection return, though now the pain and fear were replaced by frantic energy. Godzilla was up on his feet again and moving. There was blood trailing behind him, but he was not even limping; he was charging at full speed. The camera followed and soon there was water in view.

"He's going to make it!" Honda shouted at her set. "Go! Go! Go! They'll never catch you if you get out to sea!"

"_He's in the water! The soldiers in the other chopper are ready to fire again and...he's gone! Folks, we've lost track of him. He's underwater and we can't see him..."_

Honda leaped from her chair and wildly bounced around the room, drowning out the rest of the reporter's words with her cheers. "YES! YES! YOU DID IT! YOU'RE FREE! WOOOOOOHOOOOO!" She did not stop cheering or dancing until she had completely worn herself out after nearly an hour.


	3. The Age of Monsters

The international news media had almost no time to make Godzilla's escape into a major incident before something more earth-shattering caught their attention: the beginning of a series of monster sightings that continued for years afterward.

First came the tragedy on the east coast of Russia. Residents were panicstricken by the appearance of a massive swarm of dragonfly-like insects the size of canoes; the monstrous pests pillaged the coast for several weeks, feasting on crops, farms, and any humans unfortunate enough to be outside when they arrived. Attempts to fight the monsters with conventional weaponry were unsuccessful; they moved too quickly to be engaged by surface-to-air attacks, and they quickly took down any aircraft in their midst by throwing themselves at it like Kamikaze pilots. When the insects disappeared at the end of the month, thousands of people had died and hundreds of millions of rubles' worth of damage had been caused.

In March, a Chinese fishing boat went missing in the Yellow Sea after sending a distress call reporting a giant sea serpent; the vessel was eventually found capsized without a single body aboard. Numerous identical attacks occurred in the following years.

The deadliest attack of 1955 involved a colossal varanid reptile that came ashore in Taiwan and made its way to the capital city of Taipei. The beast crushed many buildings and devoured civilians by the dozens. The military was helpless to defeat the lizard, managing only to cause further damage. Once the monster had eaten its fill, it returned to the sea, leaving all of Taiwain in shock.

It was believed that the creatures were, much like Godzilla, prehistoric animals that had somehow survived in the Adona Islands and been displaced by Operation Conqueror and the subsequent typhoon. Many of them were of truly incredible size, such as the varanid, the length of which was estimated to be between forty and fifty meters; this fueled speculation that the monsters had not been merely disturbed by the nuclear test but mutated by it.

By 1959, there had been over thirty incidents and at least thirteen different monsters were confirmed to have been involved. In response, the United Nations pooled their military and scientific resources to form the United Nations Monster Countermeasures Corps (UNMCC), an organization with the goal of finding means through which to defeat the monsters. A number of strategies were used to varying degrees of effectiveness; the most successful operation, as well as the most controversial, was known as Project G...

* * *

Honda never did give up on finding Godzilla, even after nearly five years without seeing him. She had two allies she could count on to help her acquire any information that could aid her search efforts: Doctor Yuma, whose celebrated work in the field of radiobiology earned him a position as an advisor in the UNMCC and who thus was one of the first to hear about any monster activity, and Yamada the reporter, whose contacts high and low provided information on various other incidents such as maritime accidents, unusual weather phenomena, and anything else that might help guide her search.

There had been several disappointments and a few close calls during those five years. On one of her many helicopter patrols over the ocean, she spotted a spiked reptilian creature in the water and gave chase, only to find that it was Varan, the huge lizard that had attacked Taipei. The beast lunged out of the water, slamming its jaws shut a hairsbreadth shy of the helicopter, forcing her to make a hasty retreat. Other times, she was run off by military personnel who felt she was getting in the way.

Still, she had learned quite a bit from her allies. Not long after Godzilla's escape, she visited Yuma in Hiroshima to see what he had learned from studying the samples she gave him.

"It's incredible!" he told her. "The blood is dead, but there's still organic activity going on in both the blood and skin samples!"

"What? Are you sure?"

"Positive! When I first looked under the microscope, I thought they were contaminated with some kind of microbes, but no, there's clear vital response from the skin. Check this out!"

Honda looked into the microscope and, sure enough, could see cell division still occurring in the skin. Yuma leaned in and thrust a needle into the skin, tearing it open, and withdrew it. Right before her eyes, the skin around the puncture closed rapidly; ten seconds later, there was not even a scar to be seen.

"How could it do that?"

"Another mutation," said Yuma. "The cells possess an organelle not seen in any other creature. It remains inactive until an injury occurs, at which point it springs into action and repairs any damage in seconds, as you just saw."

"But how could it get the energy to do that kind of work so rapidly? It shouldn't even be alive still!"

"Like we discussed last time, Godzilla feeds on radiation. If this includes non-ionizing radiation in the environment, then there'd be no shortage of energy for his cells to process. At first I thought the glowing organ we saw under the radiograph was for metabolizing radiation, but it seems the cells can do that just fine on their own."

"Then what was that organ for, anyway?"

"Remember when the sparks came out of his mouth? I think that might be some kind of defense mechanism, a weapon, and the plasma gland – that's what I call the organ – uses excess radiation to power that discharge."

Yuma was a fountain of information, but he was also humble and showed tremendous gratitude to Honda, whom he considered to be an important contributor to his work; he eventually published several articles on the subject of mutation by irradiation and mentioned her in all of them.

Yamada, on the other hand, tended to boast about his skill in tracking down information for her and about how much work and risk on his part were required to do so, though he never asked Honda for any payment other than an occasional cup of coffee. He loved the challenge more than anything and could be an obnoxious braggart at times, but it was hard to argue with the results. He brought her news from far and wide, but the most intriguing came in 1958 following the _USS Seahawk _disaster.

He gave her the news on a weekday afternoon over coffee and a pastry at a bright and bustling American-style diner; he preferred to meet at such places because they were too well-lit and warm to invite suspicion and too loud for eavesdropping. "The submarine was somewhere near Alaska when she had some kind of malfunction and crashed. They sent an SOS, saying they thought the reactor had been breached. A helicopter was sent to locate them so a rescue ship could pick them up, and the pilot claimed to have seen a strange light coming up from the crash site."

"What color was the light?"

"Blue, 'like a shimmering sapphire,' he said." Yamada leaned back and took a long gulp from his coffee cup, smiling with the contentment of knowing that he had "nabbed a big one," as he liked to say. "So, what do you think?"

"The same thing you thought."

That was not enough for Yamada, who took great pleasure in hearing his own conclusions stated out loud by others. "Which is?" he said, grinning from ear to ear while holding his cup up near his face as though to give himself a toast.

"That Godzilla sensed the radiation and came to feed on it."

Yamada downed the rest of his coffee in a single gulp, then tore his Danish in two and crammed half of it in his mouth at once, cream oozing between his lips as he munched ravenously, still smiling as widely as possible.

"What I don't know," said Honda, "and what I'm afraid of, is this: did he attack the sub or just scavenge the radiation after it crashed on its own?"

"What do you think?" said Yamada between chomps.

"I really don't know. He was so gentle while he was in my care, but if he's grown up now, it might not be enough for him to get radiation from the environment. Maybe he targeted the sub so he could feed on its energy."

Yamada finished his mouthful and grabbed the rest but did not put it in his mouth yet. "Nah, come on! I don't think he'd do a jerk thing like that. You know him; he's like one of those panda bears they have over in China: big and tough but cute as a kitten and just as harmless." The waitress brought them their bill and set it down next to Yamada. He looked it over, stuffed the rest of the Danish in his mouth, and dropped a handful of coins on the table. "There, I'm such a gentleman I'll cover the tip. Thanks again for the coffee."

"Do you really think he's still good?"

"Of course I do!" said Yamada, standing up to leave but first putting a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "Don't give up on him, Doc. Otherwise, who'll buy such delicious junk food for me?"

* * *

Honda had also been working with the UNMCC, along with Nakayama, to predict behavior patterns in the monsters based on their understanding of similar prehistoric creatures. Honda had a proposal that she wanted to have introduced to the board of directors, but Nakayama warned that the idea was too ludicrous to work. One day, though, while on a plane ride to an important meeting, she told him that she intended to announce her plan anyway.

"How many times must I tell you?" he growled at her. "This strategy of yours not only wouldn't work, it wouldn't even be considered!"

"Not everyone's a grumpy old cynic like you, Nakayama. General Martin is a very open-minded man, and he actively encourages everyone to present any ideas we might have. That's how Project L was devised, and the results from that are promising."

"Project L was proposed by someone who actually knew what they were talking about, Honda. What you have is a total shot in the dark based on some fairy tale nonsense about mind powers that you can't give a shred of evidence for, and you expect them to take you seriously on it?"

Honda shrugged and quipped sarcastically, "At least _my_ plan doesn't involve building a giant nuclear-powered refrigerator to freeze an entire archipelago."

Nakayama clenched both hands angrily. "It's called a weather control station – and it would've worked, too! I had all the data to prove it!"

Honda rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm going to forward my proposal. If he accepts it and it works, it could save the world. If not, well...they have alternatives."

"Does that mean you'll finally shut up about it?"

"Maybe."

Nakayama folded his arms and grinned smugly. "Fine, don't let me stop you. Just don't get mad at me if he blows it off, though I certainly won't blame him."

Later that day, they arrived at the UNMCC headquarters in Okinawa, a large complex consisting of a conference building, a research center, a radio tower, and a small military base that included the office of General Martin, head of the UNMCC. Upon arrival, Honda and Nakayama were escorted by a young officer to the research center, where a crowd of international scientists, politicians, reporters, and military personnel were gathered outside. A podium was erected in front of the crowd, and upon it stood General Martin, a tall man of imposing yet charming appearance. To his left stood two well-dressed men, one American and one Russian, while behind the podium was an object the size of a two-story house, covered by a grey tarp. Once everyone arrived, General Martin cleared his throat and addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank you all for coming here today to witness the next step in our battle against the monster menace. I give you Mr. Arkoff and Mr. Nicholson, the heads of Project L."

The two well-dressed men took Martin's place at the podium to applause. "Thank you, everyone," said Nicholson. "As you know, my good friend Mr. Arkoff and I have spent more than two years now striving to create the perfect weapon that will put an end to this strange new threat we face. Many types of conventional weapons have been used, most of them with meager effects."

"Yes," said Arkoff, "but as you all know, this is no conventional war we are fighting, so conventional weapons are not enough. Instead, we have created an energy-based weapon that can surpass the firepower of even the most advanced tanks with a range to match any missile launcher. It is our pleasure to present to you, the DGA-59 heat ray cannon!"

The tarp dropped to reveal a huge vertical disk mounted on a turret. The assembled observers "ooh"-ed and "aah"-ed at the strange device. Nicholson snapped his fingers and three soldiers came forth with boxes of dark goggles. "It is time for a demonstration," said Nicholson. "The bright light generated by this weapon is intense enough to cause temporary blindness if proper eye protection is not used. Please, everyone take a set of goggles." He gave them a few minutes for everyone to get a pair of goggles before continuing. "Now, then: our target!" He pointed toward a spot about 150 meters away where four cargo trucks had been situated in a row.

Arkoff stepped up onto a platform behind the turret and looked into a periscope, pulling at a set of levers until the cannon was aimed directly at the trucks. He then turned to the audience for a final warning. "Even with your goggles on, we advise that you not look directly at the beam itself. At this distance, you will still feel some heat from the cannon, but not too much. The beam is focused and the disk is heat-shielded on the back side, so it will be a bit toasty, but not too hot. Ready? Here we go!" He looked into the periscope again and fired.

A beam of yellow light incinerated all four trucks in less than five seconds. Arkoff shut off the cannon quickly to avoid any additional damage. The crowd clapped and cheered as he took to the podium again.

"Thank you, thank you," said Nicholson. "At this moment, we are preparing to manufacture more of these units that can be mounted on a vehicle and driven to the coastline whenever a monster tries to come ashore, but we also hope to have them mounted on battleships for a faster response."

As the applause commenced again, Honda could not help but feel embarrassed, knowing that even though her plan would still be more effective if successful, it would sound absurd and impractical if such powerful weapons were available for naval combat. Still, she was doing this every bit as much for herself as for the rest of the world, and if her plan could eliminate the costs of mass producing superweapons, she decided it would be best to bring it up anyway.

She barely listened as the inventors responded to questions from the crowd, mostly about power source, range, the heat of the beam, and so on, things she was not especially concerned by. Soon enough, the questions stopped and Martin took the stage. "We will be holding a special meeting in the main conference hall in thirty minutes. In the mean time, there are some refreshments in the lobby. Help yourselves, and I'll see you soon."

Martin left the stage and the crowd dispersed. Honda approached the general timidly as he headed for his office. "General Martin?"

Martin turned her way. He smiled at her and spoke pleasantly, shaking her hand.. "Ah, Doctor Honda! It's a pleasure to meet you."

Honda was surprised that he recognized her. "I wasn't aware you knew me by name."

"We haven't met in person until now, but everyone's heard of you. Your study on the Godzillasaurus was fascinating and helped lay the groundwork for a lot of what we know now about these monsters. We're all very grateful to you. Now, what can I do for you?"

Honda blushed. She had not known that her work was so influential, and hearing it directly from the leader of the UNMCC encouraged her. "Well, you see...I've had this plan for fighting the monsters that I've been working on for a while."

"Here, let's go to my office. It's noisy out here and too damn hot!"

Honda took this as another good sign. If the general would take her to his office to hear the whole proposal rather than ask for a brief summary, it meant he was willing to take her seriously based on her experience and contributions. Perhaps she would have a chance after all.

In his office, Martin pulled up a chair in front of his desk for her to sit in, then was seated himself. "So, tell me about this plan of yours."

Honda sat up straight and took a deep breath, hoping for the best but bracing for the worst, and began. "During my studies of Godzilla, I discovered a sort of mental connection between the two of us. I could sense when he was afraid or excited, even if I was nowhere near him, and he always obeyed my instructions without needing to be trained to respond to commands. I've done some research in the time since he escaped and learned about others who have experienced similar phenomena; it's called telepathy, and even though the evidence is outside the realm of hard science, it matches what I've experienced."

Martin nodded his head. "I've heard of it. I also heard about your experiences interacting with the dinosaur in that manner. You think this could be of use to us somehow?"

"My plan is this: I want to find Godzilla and determine whether or not the telepathic bond between us still exists. If it does, I think I can convince him to fight for us. I figure by now he'd be close to thirty meters tall and very strong, strong enough to defeat even the toughest of threats. All that's left is to find him and try to communicate with him."

Martin watched her face closely, as though trying to read her mind. Honda shifted in her seat. Was he taking her seriously, after all? Or was he incredulous and trying to gauge whether she was foolish or crazy? He dropped his eyes to his desk. "I'll give it some thought," he said quietly before looking back up. "Thank you for the suggestion. I'll see you at the meeting."

Honda did not know what to think. Martin had told her he would "give it some thought," but his body language suggested that he was disappointed and skeptical. She sulked out of his office, kicking herself for wasting her time and getting her hopes up.

On her way downstairs, she ran into Yuma on his way up. "Ah, Kumi!  
he said with a smile; they had become quite friendly with each other over the years and now typically called each other by their first names. "How are you?" He changed his tone when he saw her downcast expression. "Is everything alright?"

"I had an idea that I wanted to present to the general, but he blew it off."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It was a stupid idea, anyway."

"Oh, come on now! I'm sure it wasn't-"

"It's alright, Adam," said Honda. "I'll be fine. I just need to get a drink of water and get my thoughts together before the meeting starts."

"See you there," he said sadly. She was a good friend, and it pained him to see her upset. _Oh, well_, he thought as she walked away. _Time to see what General Martin is in such a hurry to tell me about_.


	4. Project G

Honda and the rest were gathered in the main conference hall for the previously scheduled meeting. It was ten minutes past when the meeting was supposed to begin, but Martin, Yuma, Arkoff and Nicholson were noticeably absent. Eventually, Martin and Yuma entered together, the former shaking his head in aggravation; the two inventors never showed up. Martin took his seat while Yuma set up a projector.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the general began, "there's been a change in plans. Originally, we were going to discuss the beginning of Mr. Arkoff and Mr. Nicholson's next plan. However, in light of an unexpected development, that project is being postponed indefinitely so we can focus on a new strategy: Project G."

The lights were dimmed as the projector turned on. Yuma narrated as pictures flashed up on the projection screen. "What you're seeing here is the nuclear submarine _USS Seahawk_, which was destroyed in an accident last year."

Honda sat bolt upright. Had she been wrong? Were they going to consider her proposal after all? Or was this something completely unrelated and she was letting herself get worked up over nothing at all? She was mindful of her breathing and posture, trying to make sure that nobody saw her excitement lest she be disappointed all over again.

"_Seahawk_ had been sent to the Arctic Sea to determine the cause of abnormally high water temperatures in the area. Unfortunately, she malfunctioned and crashed, coming to rest on the continental shelf. A helicopter was sent to locate the sub so that a rescue operation could begin. They found the crash site and took this footage. Watch the left side of the screen." A short reel of black and white film was played showing the crash site from above. Most of what they saw was a large, murky mass but there was another large area off to the left that was bright white over a dark shape underwater. "They also took one color photograph." The image showed clearly that the murky area in the center was a yellow dye marker discharged by the submarine as a distress signal, while the bright part showed a brilliant blue glow. "That light shows what is called Cherenkov radiation, commonly seen in underwater nuclear reactors. Finally, take a look at this enlarged image of the illuminated region." The image showed something huge beneath the water, a bulky central mass with a long tail coming off one end. "Ladies and gentlemen, we believe that the object you are seeing is in fact the creature known as Godzilla, feeding on the spilled radiation from the _Seahawk_."

As the lights came back on, people in the room chattered in hushed tones, unsure of what to make of this news. Honda, however, was dead silent, breathless with anticipation. Her hands both clinched and she could feel sweat on her brow. Martin looked directly at her as Yuma returned to his seat; then the general addressed the assembly.

"We have in our midst today one Doctor Kumi Honda, the woman who first observed Godzilla and claims to have been able to exert an influence over him. Doctor Honda and Doctor Yuma also observed that the creature has humanoid arms that give him terrific upper body strength, his tissues heal almost instantaneously after injury, and he can discharge extreme heat from his mouth, powered by the radiation that he absorbs. In other words, he would be an extremely deadly combatant, and Doctor Honda's proposal is as follows: we get him to fight on our side."

The confused chatter gave way to stunned silence. Martin rose from his seat and paced the front of the room.

"I ask you all to keep in mind the toll that this war has taken on us and on all of our nations. These monsters are deadlier than any other enemy mankind has ever faced. We kill one, it takes a fleet of battleships down with it and another monster seems to appear in its place. The Yellow Sea was once a vital center of fishing and trade for eastern economies; now it has become the roaming grounds for the sea serpent Manda, which destroys any ship that enters its waters. The great lizard Varan comes ashore at a different place two or three times a year to slaughter innocent people. And the giant insects called Meganula emerge every January to terrorize the people of Russia. The heat ray cannon is a viable option, but the weapon's mobility is limited, despite what its inventors may say. It is heavy and cumbersome to transport, meaning a slow reaction time. In Godzilla, we have not merely a weapon but a new kind of soldier who can react quickly and efficiently to any threat. Therefore, I intend to put Project G into effect immediately and to help Doctor Honda and Doctor Yuma find him by any means necessary."

Honda felt a swell of pride. Her patience and determination had paid off. She could see that there were many around her who were still skeptical of her strategy, but it mattered not; the leader of the UNMCC and all its operations had given her the green light, and however much Nakayama, Arkoff and Nicholson might complain, they could not stop her. She was so thrilled that she hardly noticed Nakayama was smiling proudly at her, as was Yuma.

* * *

By the end of the month, Project G had begun in secret. Yuma worked with army engineers to create a series of special buoys that could detect radioactive energy signatures. The buoys were strategically placed in areas where activity that could be attributed to Godzilla had been detected. The primary areas were in the Arctic Sea, the waters around Ogasawara, and the East China Sea. The buoys were monitored 24/7 from the UNMCC base in Okinawa, with a response team always on standby ready for an immediate pursuit. Honda was granted paid leave from the university, who were told only that the government required her assistance, so that she could be ready at a moment's notice to leave with the response team. Days passed uneventfully. Near the end of December, Honda began once again to doubt the strength of her plan, but she did her best to remain optimistic.

Yuma invited her to visit for a New Year's celebration; she said that she could not come because she had been told to stay in Tokyo so she could leave with the response team from Haneda Airport, but that he was welcome to come visit her, instead. He accepted and even insisted on picking up lunch for them both. He arrived in the late afternoon of New Year's Eve, surprising her with a bag full of cookery and another full of ingredients.

"Welcome, Adam. What's with all this stuff? I thought you were picking up dinner."

"I did. You see, madame," he said in his best faux pompous voice, "I have these last five years come to master the art of sukiyaki, so you will permit me to indulge you in my culinary artwork."

Honda laughed and helped him get everything set up. True to his word, Yuma cooked a delightful dish for them both. They tried to make casual talk over lunch, but the conversation inevitably veered toward Project G.

"I would've thought," said Honda, "that if the buoys would pick up something, they would have by now."

Yuma shook his head as he helped himself to a second serving. "Godzilla managed to go years without being seen until just recently. I don't think he comes to the surface much unless there's a good source of radiation to draw him out."

"I suppose that makes sense, but it does make me think he might not come out any time soon."

"He will eventually, I'm sure of it. Just have patience. Oh! I almost forgot!" Yuma produced a bottle of champagne from one of the bags. "I've been saving this for a while, and I suppose this is as worthy an occasion as any." He poured them each a glass and held his aloft. "A toast to the brilliant and beautiful Doctor Kumi Honda, and to the success of Project G."

"To Godzilla! And the new year of course."

"Well, that comes later." Yuma smiled and took a deep gulp of champagne. "I tell you, though, you really made those two fellows – oh, what were their names – Arkoff and Nicholson pretty jealous with that plan of yours."

"Really? How?"

"They were under contract to develop more high-tech weapons for the UNMCC, but if this Godzilla thing works out, they might have to scale those plans back a bit. That's why they weren't at the Project G meeting; they stormed out in a huff when Martin told them he was canceling Project M."

"Project M? What's-?"

The phone rang.

Honda sprang to answer it. "Kumi Honda speaking."

"Doctor Honda, this is Lieutenant Yazaki. We've got something in the East China Sea. We'll have a car at your address in five minutes."

"Thank you!" Honda hung up the phone. "East China Sea! Are you coming?"

"You can bet your bottom dollar, I'm coming!"

* * *

Just over an hour later, Honda and Yuma were in a helicopter on their way to the buoy that had been activated when the pilot received a radio message, which he then passed to them. "A second buoy was just tripped to the North of the first, so we'll meet the ship there instead."

Honda was caught between wanting to shout for joy at the thought of seeing Godzilla again and being terrified that something could go wrong at this next stage. What if he no longer recognized her? Would he become violent upon seeing the ship? She suppressed such thoughts, knowing they could do nothing to help right now and that the only thing to do was hope for the best.

They landed on the rear deck of a destroyer, _Watatsumi Maru_, fifteen minutes later. The ship's captain ran to greet them. "Captain Kawamura at your service. We saw something rise up out of the water right after we got here! You just missed him!"

Yuma turned to Honda. "Feel anything?"

"Nothing," she replied, trying not to sound disappointed.

Yuma addressed the captain. "Did you switch on the buoy's electromagnetic transmitter?"

"Yes, it's been on for at least five minutes now."

"Good. He'll sense the signal and think it's radiation that he can feed on."

A cry came from the lookout. "Object approaching at 10 o'clock!"

Honda and Yuma ran to the port side to get a glimpse. They looked carefully and, sure enough, could see a large, dark spot in the distance advancing rapidly.

"Is it him?" asked Yuma.

"I don't know! I still can't feel anything!"

The lookout shouted again. Yuma cupped his ear. "I can't make that out. What's he saying?"

Honda, too, had trouble understanding the word, though she could hear two short A's. She looked around and could see the crew scrambling to their stations, some of them shouting the same word. Finally she heard it clearly and cried out in horror. "Manda! It's Manda!"


	5. Dueling Dragons

About two kilometers from the _Watatsumi Maru_, a huge mass broke the surface of the water and reared its monstrous head. Manda, the dreaded sea serpent, had come. The monster measured some 150 meters in length. Her blue-grey body was long and serpentine but her head was almost crocodilian, and her tail ended with a rudder-like fin similar to an eel's. She possessed four prehensile limbs, small in comparison to the rest of her body but nonetheless powerful, each ending in four digits with curved black talons. The back of her head was adorned with two long, backward-facing horns, and a row of smaller spikes ran the length of her back. Manda had sensed the electromagnetic signal and come to investigate. Seeing the ship, the monster let out a fierce snarl and charged; be this intruder prey or rival, it would pay for entering Manda's domain.

The crew scrambled as the ship's siren sounded. Cannons and machine guns were armed and aimed. Yuma backed away slowly from the ship's rail. "We've got to get out of here!"

Honda remained frozen in place, staring transfixed at the advancing beast. "I don't think there's time! She'll be on us before they can-!"

A volley of cannon fire was unleashed, drowning out all other sound. Manda dove underwater just in time to avoid being struck. Her shadow could be seen on the water for a moment, but then the creature disappeared completely. The cannons and machine guns continued to blast the waves until Captain Kawamura ordered a stop. For most of a minute, all was silent but for the sound of waves breaking against the ship. Then an awful groaning of metal was heard.

"Starboard side!" cried the lookout. "She's right on top of us!"

Manda struck the main cannon with her claws, tearing it from its turret, and threw herself forward across the ship. Honda screamed as she and Yuma leaped out of the monster's path, just barely avoiding being crushed by Manda's midsection. The beast's head went under water and emerged on the other side of the ship again, right behind where she had anchored her tail to its hull.

"Oh, God!" cried Honda. "She's trying to constrict the ship!"

Manda reached across and wrapped herself around the ship a second time. The metal groaned louder and Honda could feel the ship's weight shifting underneath her as it began to bend. There came a resounding crunch as something finally gave, allowing water to come rushing into the lower decks of the destroyer. The ship could not remain afloat for long. Honda's heart was racing from sheer panic. She was certain that she was going to die.

And then she felt it. That same old sensation, like a voice inside her head had spoken, "I am here."

She gazed off into the distance and saw the light coming up from the water. There came a crackling sound, like a clap of thunder, and a stream of blue fire burst forth, searing the top of Manda's head. The serpent shrieked in pain and all eyes turned aft as Godzilla appeared.

Honda was glad to see him, but also intimidated. She had guessed before that he would be around thirty meters in height, but he was nearly twice that tall from what she could see. His eyes were now more proportionate to the size of his head and had gone from a soft yellow to a fiery orange. The bone-like protrusions on his back were now much larger, and his chest and forearms showed massive musculature. His skin had darkened to charcoal grey and had a much harder, almost rocky appearance.

Godzilla opened his mouth and let out a mighty roar, defying Manda to face him. Snarling angrily, the sea serpent uncoiled herself from around the ship and lunged forward, mouth wide open and heading straight for the interloper's face. Godzilla reached out and caught her by the neck in midair, but without missing a beat, Manda lashed herself around his throat and again around his midriff while also slashing at his face with her forelimb claws. Bellowing in anger, Godzilla dove forward, taking them both underwater.

Kawamura ran to the bridge and grabbed the radio. "Mayday! Mayday!" he shouted. "This is _Watatsumi Maru_! We've been attacked by a sea monster and now we're taking on water! Our position is..."

Again came the bright flash and thunderous sound of Godzilla's atomic fire. Beneath the waves, he struggled to free himself from Manda's constricting coils. As hard as he tried, he could not simply pull her off of him. She had freed herself from his grasp, and with his neck ensnared, Godzilla could not turn his head enough to blast her body; every time he aimed for her face, she dodged it. His dorsal plates glowed as he began charging another shot, but he held it in, allowing them to get hotter and hotter until Manda began to relax her grip around his torso. Then, showing incredible speed and maneuverability, he flipped upside down and propelled himself downward. He caught Manda by the neck again and held her outward so that, when they reached the bottom, her head was rammed straight into the sea floor.

Manda detached herself and darted away; she could still move quickly, but she was dazed from being struck twice in the head and her movements were becoming erratic. Godzilla unleashed another burst of energy, strafing from left to right. Manda was struck again, this time on her left forelimb, shattering the bones. In a blind fury, she launched herself at Godzilla again, this time catching him around the ankles and pulling tight until he was thrown off his feet. She continued to squeeze even as Godzilla attempted to bat her away with his tail. Soon enough, her effort was rewarded by the crunch of bones breaking. Godzilla cried out in pain and tried one more time to strike Manda with his tail; this time he caught her across the back, forcing her to break free. Manda then tried to sink her teeth into his thigh but found his hide too tough to bother trying to eat. Content to let her attacker remain immobilized until he drowned on the seabed, she tried to swim away. However, Godzilla caught her by the end of the tail and pulled with all his might.

Growing weaker and more afraid, Manda wrapped herself around his arm, but as soon as she did so, he rose to his feet. His legs had healed! Manda tried to break away, but Godzilla now had one hand on her tail and one just below her jaw. With one final blast of his atomic fire, he burned her from throat to midsection. Manda writhed in agony until he let her go. She tried again to swim away, but he had dealt her a fatal blow. With each passing second, her movements became slower and feebler until, no longer able to propel herself forward, she sank to the sea floor, rapidly losing consciousness. Godzilla did not stay to watch as the life ebbed from her body; a friend on the surface needed his help.

* * *

The _Watatsumi Maru_ was sinking rapidly. The crew was hesitant to jump overboard for fear of the monsters beneath them, but soon it seemed that they had no choice. Honda clung to the railing, quaking in fear.

"Kumi!" yelled Yuma. "We've got to jump! Come on!"

"I don't think I can!" she moaned. "I've never swam in water this deep before!"

"Neither have I, but if we stay here, we're gonna get dragged under with the ship! Now come on, let's go!"

At that moment, Godzilla reemerged near the ship with a roar of victory. He eyed the ship until he saw Honda and came in for a closer look.

"Godzilla!" she shouted. "Help us! We'll drown!"

Godzilla's eyes glowed red as he interpreted her call for help. He turned and laid next to the ship with only his back and the top of his head above the water. Honda released her grip on the rail, jumped into the water, and climbed onto Godzilla's head. The rest followed suit, climbing onto his neck and back. Once everyone was accounted for, Godzilla swam away from the sinking ship, using only his tail for propulsion and moving slowly so that nobody would fall off. Even as the _Watatsumi Maru_ vanished below the waves, the crew cheered for their rescuer. Honda laid on her belly and let her cheek rest against Godzilla's head, letting out a sigh of relief at the return of her old friend. "Thank you," she whispered. "I knew you wouldn't let me down."

After about an hour, as the sky began to darken, they finally encountered a coast guard ship. Its crew were frightened by the sight of Godzilla and almost retreated, but his passengers whistled and called out to get their attention. Eventually the ship came nearer and dropped two life boats to bring them in; there were enough survivors that each boat needed to make multiple trips. Kawamura was among the first to climb aboard and sought out the ship's captain to speak to him in person. "I'm with the UNMCC," he explained. "I'm going to have to ask that you keep this incident a secret, at least for now."

"Understood. I'll inform my crew."

Honda was the last to board. Before getting in the lifeboat, she rubbed the top of Godzilla's head and whispered, "Don't wander off too far. I might need to find you again soon." She climbed aboard the ship and watched as Godzilla vanished silently beneath the waves.


	6. Monster Season

On January 3rd, Honda met with Yamada for another round of coffee and sweets. This time Yuma came along, too.

"Who's this?" asked Yamada.

"This is Doctor Yuma, a radiobiologist."

"Oh, I've heard of you! You published that paper about Godzilla's cells and his ability to absorb radiation."

"That would be me, alright."

"Good to meet you! So, what brings you here?" Yamada started to dunk a donut in his coffee but paused. His eyes widened and that same old cheeky grin spread across his face. "Don't tell me you two are...you know...an item?"

Honda blushed and Yuma cleared his throat.

"No need to be embarrassed! Just asking!"

"Actually," said Honda, "I just wanted to tell you that I won't be needing your help with the Godzilla chase anymore."

"You mean...?"

"It's classified. Not a word."

"Oh, c'mon, Doc!" pleaded Yamada. "After all I've done for you..."

"Class-ih-fied. Not one...damn...word."

Yamada curled his lip and thrust his donut all the way to the bottom of the coffee cup, sloshing the conents over the side. "Fine, fine. Journalistic integrity and all that _baka_. Whatever."

"Now hang on just a minute, man!" scolded Yuma. "She's trying to tell you something here!"

"Adam, please," said Honda, taking his arm.

Yamada smiled again. "Ooh, so it's not just 'Doctor Yuma,' eh? You two are on a first name basis! That means it's not just a-" Honda's eyes blazed intensely at him. "Sorry, sorry! None of my business! Go ahead."

"Thank you, Yamada," said Honda, a genial smile returning to her face. "So, Doctor Yuma and I are working with the UNMCC on a new project, but we can't tell anyone about it yet."

"You're telling _me_. Aren't I technically someone?"

Honda chuckled. "Well, if I just called off our little meetings without any word, you'd get hungry for information and hound me until I cracked or you found something out on your own. And if I kept coming but just stayed quiet about it, you'd deduce that something was awry and go scrounging around anyway."

"I assume you're not just telling me this to save your time and my feelings," said Yamada through a mouthful of donut. "So...what's the deal?"

Honda folded her hands and explained her offer with one word. "Exclusive."

Yamada happily pounded one fist on the table. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Say no more. Whenever you decide you're ready...or whenever the higher-ups do, I guess...you know where to find me!"

"Of course we do," said Honda. She and Yuma stood up and left the table.

"Hey hey hey!" Yamada called after them. "You didn't pay!"

"We didn't eat."

"I meant pay for _me_!"

Honda did her best imitation of Yamada's face-splitting grin. "Well, you see, I was paying for your food to get information from you. Now _I'm_ offering to give _you_ information. If we want to keep this quid pro quo situation going, you'll buy something for me!"

Yamada rolled his eyes and sipped resignedly form his cup. "Fine. Quid pro quo, Doc. You give me that exclusive, I buy you dinner." He pointed an accusing finger at them both. "Don't gyp me, though! You'd never hear the end of it!"

"I'm sure I wouldn't. Bye!"

* * *

Honda and Yuma returned to the Okinawa base the next day. An officer met them at the landing pad. "Doctor Yuma," he said, "there's a new sample waiting for you in the research center. Doctor Honda, General Martin wants to see you."

When Honda entered the general's office, he was on the phone with someone, but he motioned for her to be seated and remain quiet while he finished his call.

"I see...Yes, of course...Thank you, Commander. That will be all." He hung up the phone and folded his hands as he addressed Honda. "Doctor, I called you here because I have something very important to discuss with you. The first stage of Project G is nearly complete. We've found Godzilla and right now a ship is leading him here using one of Yuma's buoys. He hasn't displayed any aggression toward the ship, even in your absence, which is proof enough for me that he won't be a threat to us whether you're here or not. All the same, this plan was your idea and Captain Kawamura testified that you actually can influence Godzilla as much as you claimed before. I therefore consider your help to be invaluable and would like to thank you on behalf of the UNMCC."

Honda nodded. "I appreciate it, General."

"Now we come to phase two. We'll keep Godzilla here for now, but eventually we want to establish a sort of...Godzilla headquarters, if that makes sense, a location elsewhere that we can keep him for observation and be ready for him to go out on missions at any time. What I want from you is for you to remain available to go with him at any time, as well. You can still work at the university, but you may have to stick to regular teaching hours so that we can contact you and pull you out of class at a moment's notice. If you're willing to go through with it, you'll be given a salary equivalent to that of a captain, plus full benefits."

Honda thought it over. She wanted to accept the offer on the spot, but she had some questions. "What if I somehow become unable to continue influencing Godzilla?"

"You'll get full retirement and a recommendation from the United Nations. You'd be able to do whatever you wanted to do from then on."

"And what if the UNMCC comes up with another solution they prefer?"

"There's nothing else really on the table at the moment."

"What about Project M?"

Martin eyed her suspiciously. "How do you know about that?"

"Well, I, uh...just overheard someone mention it. I don't know what it is, though."

"I won't tell you what it is right now, just that I think it's too risky. Your plan, if it had failed, would have cost us an excusable amount of money building those buoys, and maybe a ship or two that might have been attacked during search operations. Project M is a much bigger gamble, something I only want to use as a last resort, but for a while it looked like the only chance we had. That's why I was so willing to give your strategy a shot. In any case, should we find a better option, you'll still be given full benefits. Anything else?"

"Not for now, no."

"Alright, then. I won't ask you to make a decision now, but I'd like you to at least think seriously about it." Martin stood up and motioned toward the door. "Please, follow me. They'll be arriving here soon."

During their short walk to the landing, Honda began thinking about the heat ray cannon again. "So, General, what is the situation with Arkoff and Nicholson if they're not going to the next project?"

"They're content with Project L for now, though after their little fit at the conference back in November, we're looking at other companies that might want to lend a hand in the fight. In the meantime, the heat ray cannons are still being produced. They're already being deployed to deal with the Meganula in eastern Russia."

They reached the dock just as the ship arrived with Godzilla right behind, swimming with his head below the water and his plates jutting out. The buoy was switched off and Godzilla came to a stop. Honda could sense his confusion and tried to mentally project her thoughts to him. _It's alright. I'm here. Just come to me_. Godzilla inclined so that his head and torso were visible.

"Magnificent," Martin murmured, gazing in awe. "I don't think I've ever seen an animal this big, not even Varan." He blew a puff of smoke and addressed Honda without taking his eyes of Godzilla. "And you say he killed Manda single-handedly?"

"Yes. Well, actually..."

"Actually what?"

"...we didn't witness the kill. Manda had a pretty good stranglehold on him, though, and he managed to break free. I think that much-"

"We at least know that Manda is dead. One of our submarines found the body, or at least what was left of it once the sharks ate their fill. We've got Doctor Yuma looking over the remains right now."

"General Martin!" A young officer came sprinting toward them. He stopped for a breath before making his report. "General! We've just had two simultaneous monster sightings. Both creatures are heading in the direction of Fukuoka!"

* * *

When the Meganula made their first appearance of the year earlier that day, the heat ray guns were read to fight them. The insects always moved in huge swarms, stripping the land bare in their path. Once they had been sighted, three DGA-59 cannons were placed in their path. Each cannon was mounted on a trailer drawn by an APC, and the turrets had been modified to include two mounted .50 caliber machine guns facing opposite the heat ray, allowing two spotters to watch the main gunner's rear.

As the swarm came bearing down on them, the cannons opened fire, instantly disintegrated any insect directly in the path and causing any within the rays' five-meter "fry zone," as the soldiers called it, on either side of the seven-meter wide beams to experience catastrophic overheating and plummet to the ground. The Meganula swooped down to attack the cannons and were wiped out by the dozen, the heat ray inflicting the bulk of the damage while the spotters made short work of any that tried to attack from the rear. After twenty minutes, the Meganula had been reduced to half their original number. The monsters scored their first victory when a spotter's gun jammed, allowing the insects to get in close, kill all three members of his team, and knock the cannon off its turret. When they did so, about half the remaining swarm came to help dismantle the weapon, only for one of the other teams to target the downed cannon's power supply, causing an explosion that wiped out most of the remaining swarm. With their numbers drastically reduced, the Meganula beat a hasty retreat, going back in the direction they had initially come from. One of the spotters radioed an update, giving the direction of the fleeing insects.

Two jets were sent to pursue and successfully located the Meganula's nest, the huge crater of an inactive volcano. The remaining DGA-59s were taken to the area to pick off any stragglers as more jets were sent to bombard the mountain. The Meganula were angry but confused, unable to mount a defense against the combined might of the jets and heat rays. Victory for the Soviet forces seemed imminent.

Then a terrible cry came from the mountain. The jets halted their bombardment, fearing the volcano had been awakened and might erupt, but instead a massive cloud of dirt and debris arose that obscured the mountain from view. The cry came again, and then a massive pterosaur came speeding through the cloud, evidently having been hiding in the mountain. The cannon operators had no time to react; the creature was upon them in an instant, the powerful gusts from its wings toppling the cannons onto their side with such force that they exploded on impact. The jets gave chase but were soon outpaced, losing the monster as it flew out to sea in the direction of Japan.

* * *

Meanwhile, a group of fishermen were enjoying a plentiful haul in the Sea of Japan.

"This might be the best catch we've had in years!"

"I think the fish population's gone way up since that damn sea serpent died."

"Manda? They finally killed that thing?"

"Yeah. Damned if I know how, but they got the bastard!"

"Terrific! I say we have a great big feast tonight to celebrate!"

"Hey, guys! Ito's boy is reeling in his first shark!"

The men all paused to watch and shout encouragement to the teenager wrestling with his line trying to hold onto the shark.

"Get him, Haru!"

"Hang tight, now! Don't let him yank the rod out of your hands!"

"We'll grill that sucker up and feed the whole village!"

The young man hollered in surprise as he was yanked overboard with the rod. His father ran to the side of the boat. "Haru!" He went to jump in after him, but another fisherman stopped him.

"Look! Look!"

A stream of blood slowly rose to the top of the water. The father gasped in horror and began to moan. "Haru! Haru! No! My son!"

Suddenly the water began to churn as huge air bubbles floated toward the surface, followed by the severed head of a spinner shark and another stream of blood. The boats rocked back and forth, sending the men into a panic. A huge, sandy brown mass drifted toward the surface, a frightening visage soon becoming visible.

"Varan!" the men screamed. "It's Varan! Somebody help us!"

The killer reptile burst the surface of the water, overturning the boats. The dunked men tried to scramble onto the tops of their vessels or swim to safety, but Varan emerged further and grabbed them one at a time; some were yanked clean up while others were slashed wide open by his long claws, but each found their way to the same gruesome destination.

With his ravenous appetite merely whetted by the meat of a few lean fishermen, Varan set course for the Japanese coast to find more prey. A Maritime Safety Agency patrol plane spotted him and sounded the alarm.

* * *

"Come with me," Martin said to Honda and the soldier, walking quickly toward a helicopter. "Private, do we know what monsters we're dealing with here?"

"One of them is Varan. The other is new; the Russians blew up its nest while fighting the Meganula. They said it's some kind of flying dinosaur or something."

"A pterosaur!" Honda piped up. "How big did they say?"

"As big as an airliner and just as fast!"

"Alright, Private," barked Martin. "Get on the radio and raise a full alert. Report two monsters inbound for Fukuoka: Varan and a new airborne monster, designation: Rodan. Send the warships equipped with heat ray cannons to the coast, evacuate all citizens from Fukuoka city and tell those in the surrounding vicinity to be ready to do the same. Dismissed."

"Sir!" The soldier sprinted off to do his duty.

"And as for us, Honda – I think it's time we take Mister G out for his first mission."

"But, General, we haven't had time to practice, to make sure he's ready to-"

"You said it yourself, Doctor: if he can take on Manda, he can face anything. Hopefully we can kill at least one of the monsters before they reach Fukuoka, but if not, I need him to fight with everything he's got." Martin swung the helicopter door open for her. "If I wasn't completely sure of this plan, I wouldn't ask you to do this. But I am, so I must. Are you ready?"

"Wait!" Yuma came running toward the helicopter. "Wait! I'm coming with you!" He climbed in and took a seat next to Honda. "I just _have_ to see this for myself!"

Martin stepped back and saluted them both as the helicopter's blades began to rotate. "Good luck to you both!"

As the helicopter lifted off, Honda reached out to Godzilla once again, asking him to follow and be ready for a fight. The mighty behemoth roared its challenge to any who might oppose it and swam just behind the helicopter, easily keeping pace with it.

Yuma was excited to see Godzilla in action, but Honda had suddenly become deathly pale. "Feeling okay?" he asked. "Not airsick, I hope."

An awkward smile fleeted across her face. "No, just, you know...first time in combat, is all."

Yuma took her hand and held it firmly. "Don't worry. Godzilla's the one who'll do all the fighting. You'll be safe."

"It's not _my_ safety I'm worried about, Adam. Godzilla does the fighting, but I give the orders. I'm not accustomed to having that kind of authority. Thousands, maybe millions of lives are at stake, and every decision I make affects the outcome. What if I-"

"Hold it right there! Kumi, look at me. You're one of the smartest people I've ever met, but more importantly, you're also the kindest and most caring. I trust you, and so does Martin. You can do this."

Honda took a deep breath and leaned her head against the back of her seat. "Thank you, Adam. I needed to hear that. So, anything else you need to tell me?"

"Uh...yeah, one more thing. Don't let Godzilla use his breath unless he's got a wide open shot. You don't want to see what it did to Manda! If he uses it and strikes a building or a train or fires it into a crowd of-"

"Okay okay okay! I get it!" Honda placed a hand over her chest and took another deep breath. _Great_, she thought. _Now I really will get sick_.


	7. The Battle of Fukuoka

There were only two battleships, the _Sasaki _and the _Hayashi_, that had already been equipped with DGA-59s. Both were sent to intercept Varan before his arrival in Hakata Bay, while a squadron of fighter-bombers were sent to combat Rodan.

When Varan saw the battleships, he immediately became aggressive. Roaring in defiance, he sped toward them at full speed. As soon as he was in range, the heat ray cannons opened fire, but he was slightly below the ray's field of rotation. Varan received a shallow burn on his back before diving underwater. The battleships saturated the area with artillery shells in order to drive him back to the surface, but instead he dove farther and farther down. When he was no longer visible, the shelling stopped. The crews wanted to believe that they had succeeded in killing the monster, but they could not be certain; Varan was infamous for his cunning, avoiding traps and outsmarting military schemes.

The monster charged toward the surface but was spotted coming up, and so the shelling began again in full. Varan was struck on the top of his head by an explosive and darted back down into the depths, watching the ships move overhead, knowing they would not stay in place forever. In response, the _Sasaki _and _Hayashi _began dropping depth charges. Varan had chosen to rest on the ocean floor almost directly beneath them and was therefore right in the midst of the explosions. Realizing he had made a mistake, Varan swam up just far enough that he could see the _Sasaki_ clearly. He then aligned himself with it and made another rush. This time, he came up directly under the ship, pushing it out of the water. The crew frantically fired their machine guns at him to no avail. The _Sasaki_ tipped over on its side and water rushed into the heat cannon's power generator, causing a massive explosion that engulfed the ship and instantly killed all of its crew. The fireball also charred the right half of Varan's face and blinded him in one eye. The lizard reared back his head and let out a bloodcurdling shriek of pain.

Taking advantage of his temporary shock, the _Hayashi_ fired their heat ray again, but with smoke still billowing from the wreckage, Varan was difficult to see. He was seared once again but not seriously harmed. More enraged than ever, he dived and attempted to strike the same killing blow to the _Hayashi _but was forced back down again by depth charges. Varan decided to push onward into the bay, thinking that he could avoid the _Hayashi_ if he swam low and fast. However, taking that route led him straight into a minefield that had been set up for just for such an attack, and with one eye gone, Varan's depth perception had been weakened, making it impossible for him to navigate the mines accurately. Several were triggered, further stunning him and alerting the _Hayashi_ to his position. They fired explosives relentlessly in Varan's direction, forcing him to stay low. He was cornered now, unable to advance because of the mines and unable to go higher up without being blown to bits by depth charges.

Meanwhile, a squadron of fighter-bombers was in pursuit of Rodan. The flying monster had broken the sound barrier and was moving with enough speed to generate a vortex, which the aircraft followed, pushing their speed to the limit in order to catch up. It was not just the monster's speed that made keeping up with him difficult; he showed exceptional maneuverability, performing corkscrews and tight turns even at supersonic speed.

The squadron finally caught up to him just outside Hakata Bay and commenced their attack, aiming for his wings, which were both the largest and easiest target as well as their most realistic chance of bringing him down. Rodan swerved this way and that to dodge the rockets; his ability to dodge projectiles that he could not see and would not have been able to hear suggested extraordinary somatosensation and lightning fast reflexes. Then, to their amazement, he performed a perfect loop and was right behind them, closing quickly.

The commander urgently barked orders to his men. "Kirino, Nomura: flank him to the left with me! Otomi, Kato, Fujiki: take the right! The rest of you stay on course!" The fighters moved into position, forming a triangle around Rodan, who stayed right behind the main group while the others targeted his wings. "Ready! Fire!"

Rodan was temporarily thrown off by the explosions, barely able to dodge the rockets at such close range and sacrificing both speed and altitude by doing so.

"He's underneath us! Release bombs! Fire!"

Again Rodan scarcely avoided most of the explosives and was forced downward as his speed was reduced.

The commander spotted the _Hayashi_ and called to them. "_Hayashi Maru_, _Hayashi Maru_, this is Commander Kosugi! Rodan is approaching your position from the northeast! Please use your energy cannon to bring him down!"

The _Hiyashi_ complied and fired the heat ray. Rodan was still moving quickly enough that the ray only hit him for a split second, inflicting minor burns to the far end of his left wing; it was enough, though, to knock him completely off balance, and he began to fall, flapping his wings frantically to keep himself from slamming into the water at lethal speed.

"We did it!" cheered one of the pilots. "We got that son of a-oh my god!"

Rodan's flailing had changed his direction so that he was now falling almost directly onto the _Hiyashi_. Having seen what happened to the _Sasaki_ when the heat ray was flooded, the crew desperately tried to disconnect the power, but there was no time. Rodan crashed into the water close enough to create a wave that swamped the vessel; the generator was inundated and the ship was destroyed.

The squadron dropped low to the water, hoping to see Rodan's body and confirm the kill. Suddenly, Varan lunged and swung at them, knocking down two craft, including the commander's. The rest pulled up as quickly as possible. Moments later, Rodan exploded from the water and gave chase to the remaining craft. Three were unable to get out of Rodan's path and were torn apart by the force of air generated by his wings. One panicked and sent himself into a spin, crashing into another and causing an explosion that destroyed both craft. The last few escaped and fled the area at top speed.

Unopposed, both monsters entered Hakata Bay. Rodan kept up his speed but stayed low, creating a wake in the water. As he reached the edge of Fukuoka, the wake broke against the shore, flooding the waterfront area. Varan rode the wave right to the shore and galloped after Rodan. He had never tasted pterosaur meat before and was eager to try it.

The evacuation of Fukuoka was still in progress. Only minutes had gone by after the alarm was raised before the monsters arrived. The waterfront area was mostly deserted, but the rest of the city's occupants were still trying to squeeze their way through the mass of vehicles and people to escape. Rodan swooped down over the Chūō-ku ward, kicking up gusts of wind that lifted fleeing civilians off the ground, throwing many of them against buildings with deadly force.

Rodan landed on the strip of land running through Ohori Park, a large body of water by the remains of Fukuoka Castle, to lick his wounds and rest after the difficult battle. No such luck, though, as Varan was right behind him. The lizard threw himself at Rodan with a fierce growl. Rodan spun around and lashed out defensively with his wings, but Varan had already gotten too close; his claws raked the already injured wing, tearing through the membrane. Rodan crowed angrily and brought his beak down hard atop Varan's head with a loud crack. Varan stumbled backward, disoriented, giving his quarry the chance to retreat. Rodan's wing was hurt but not crippled, and he was able to stay airborne long enough to throw himself over the water and come to a perch on part of the castle.

Varan recovered from his shock and launched himself at Rodan again, only to be dodged and crash full force into the castle, demolishing a large section of it. Rodan grabbed the lizard's tail with his beak and tugged hard. Varan was dragged backward into the water, kicking and flailing. He spun over to lash out at Rodan's face but received another blow from his beak, this time right in the chest. He collapsed in the water with a groan and lay there, bleeding profusely, as Rodan flew away again.

Varan lifted himself out of the water. Having come off all the worse for the bout, he elected to seek out easier prey. He heard the horn of a ferry transporting the last evacuees from the waterfront area to safety. Licking his teeth, he moved with great speed despite his injuries, leaping from building to building in a mad dash toward the shore. He could see the ferry taking off from a dock just across the channel. Bellowing with delirious anticipation at the idea of hundreds of helpless little treats crowded into one vulnerable container atop the water, he plunged into the channel and paddled across.

People aboard the ferry cried out in dread, many of them leaping overboard to swim for shore. Varan was upon them in seconds. A young family cowered in the midst of the confusion, huddling close together on the top deck of the ferry, unable to move in their state of fear. Varan singled them out for an easy target and was about to chomp down on them when the roar of another monster turned his and his potential victims' attention to the other side of the ferry.

Godzilla had arrived, just in the nick of time.

All was quiet for just a moment. Varan sized up the newcomer. Godzilla was clearly the larger of the two, but there was something more than his size and strength that intimidated the lizard. It was that look in his eyes, a look of one possessed of purpose, courage, and conviction. This was no rival predator here to scrap over a mouthful of meat or a patch of turf. This was a warrior.

Varan was not a being of great intelligence, but he knew instinctively that he would not walk away from this fight.

In the helicopter, a kilometer away from Godzilla and just high enough to clearly see his standoff with Varan, Yuma gave Honda a pat on the back. "It's time. You can do this!"

Martin's voice came in over their headsets. _"Honda, we're counting on you. You're our eyes and ears out there. Keep us up to date on the action. Over"_

"Roger." Honda took a careful look at the situation and saw the ferry sitting between the two monsters. She closed her eyes, concentrated on Godzilla, and spoke insider her head to him. _Save the people! Defeat the killers, but do it without your fire. Fight them!_

Godzilla threw back his head and let out another thundering roar before advancing. He placed one hand on the ferry and tried to push it out of the way. That was when Varan, seeing perhaps his only chance, leaped at him with his claws held outward. Again Godzilla's reflexes served him well, allowing him to catch the lizard mid-leap by the throat. However, the sudden movement started the waters of the channel splashing, and the ferry began to tilt to its side, eliciting screams from the passengers.

_The people! s_aid Honda. _Save the people!_

Godzilla threw Varan with all his might into the channel and grabbed the boat with both hands, stabilizing it and pushing it back toward the docks. Seeing Godzilla's back turned, Varan jumped once again and landed on him, sinking his teeth into his neck. Most of his weight fell on Godzilla's shoulder, pushing his hands down suddenly and forcing him to let go of the ship, which rocked violently back and forth. The family that Varan had singled out earlier collectively cried out in despair as their youngest, a boy of about seven, was ripped from their huddle and fell over the side of the boat.

_Catch him!_

Godzilla caught the boy and held him close to his chest, where Varan could not easily get to him. The lizard had no appetite for little boys at the moment, though; his main goal was to inflict as much damage on his enemy as possible before beating a hasty retreat. Unlike Manda, whose needle-like teeth were mainly for skewering soft tissue, Varan had thick, dagger-like fangs and jaws like an iron vice, ideal for ripping muscles, crushing bones, and keeping a firm grip on anything that tried to get away from him.

Godzilla could feel the pressure from that monstrous mouth and the searing pain inflicted by those teeth. He could not use his right arm because he was using it to protect the boy. Instead he used his foot to push the ferry a little bit farther away so that it would not be swamped, then lifted his left arm until until it and Varan were parallel with the ground and sunk his teeth into one of Varan's legs. The lizard growled from the pain but did not release his hold, instead biting down harder. Godzilla responded in kind, thrusting his equally powerful teeth deeper and deeper into the flesh. Still Varan would not loosen his grip. Godzilla's dorsal plates glowed as he charged his atomic energy.

_Careful! _Honda warned him.

Godzilla knew what he was doing. Instead of releasing the charge in a beam attack, he channeled it through his teeth; the added heat allowed them to cut through Varan's flesh and muscle like butter. When he reached the bone, Godzilla released a short burst of blue fire, completely severing the leg. Varan finally released his grip and threw back his head with a screech; while his neck was exposed, Godzilla sunk his teeth into his throat and gave his head a quick jerk. There was a loud crunch as Varan's neck broke, then he went limp and fell into the shallow water of the channel. The last thing he saw was the bottom of Godzilla's foot as it came down on his face, crushing his skull.

Godzilla opened his hand and looked down at the frightened child. The little boy had his hands tightly pressed against his eyes but moved them away to see what would happen next. Godzilla seemed to smile at him and purred reassuringly, then gently placed him back on the ferry with his family. His mother cried with relief, holding him tightly to her. She looked up at Godzilla with gratitude, albeit marred by apprehension. As they realized that the monster would not hurt them, the passengers began to cheer for him. Godzilla was confused by this display, but Honda spoke to him again. _They are grateful to you. You just saved their lives...but you're not done quiet yet!_

Godzilla turned his attention to the city, hearing the sounds of cannon fire and the cries of another monster. Spurred by his first victory, he sallied forth to complete his mission.

"Honda to General Martin. Do you read me, General?"

"_Go ahead. Over."_

"Varan is dead in the harbor. Godzilla is entering the city to face Rodan. Over"

"_Good. Careful, now. Fighting in the city is going to be the riskiest part of the operation, and Rodan's mobility is sure to make him a tough opponent. Over."_

"Understood, General. Out." Honda clenched her hands together, trembling with anticipation.

Yuma put a hand on her shoulder. "You're doing great so far. Just one more to go."

* * *

Rodan landed atop a tall building in the Tenjin area and flapped his wings angrily, still smarting from his fight with Varan. The powerful winds he created rendered the structure unstable and tore the roofs off several others with the wind from his wings. Within moments, an artillery unit arrived and began firing on the monster. Rodan flapped his wings harder and harder, sending debris flying in all directions and deflecting many of the artillery shells back at his attackers or into the surrounding buildings. Multiple fires broke out simultaneously, forcing the artillery unit to retreat. Still Rodan flapped his wings, which only fanned the flames. Fire crews came as close as they could get to the blaze and found that they could only fight a small section of it without coming into the path of Rodan's winds. Finally, the monster succeeded in making a brief takeoff, hovering low over the buildings. This kicked up more wind, toppling buildings and spreading the flames around. The fire crews were able to get in close enough to fight the blaze, though now it was bigger and hotter than before.

Rodan arrived at Fukuoka Airport and settled down to rest again; his wing was still weak and he tired easily. He looked around, curiously examining the various aircraft. Were they a mixed colony of other flying creatures? Were they friend or foe? He squawked and displayed his full wingspan, hoping to arouse some kind of reaction from them. Nothing. He tried it again. Still nothing. He flapped his wings indignantly, causing a few of the planes to scoot on the tarmac, producing a sort of whining sound. Mistaking this for a threatening vocalization, Rodan jumped and flapped his wings again, crowing at the strange creatures to show them he was the boss. The planes moved more, making the sound again.

Rodan was about to attack one of the craft when Godzilla appeared on the scene, announcing his presence with a roar, followed by Honda in the helicopter, still keeping a distance. Rodan glowered at Godzilla and resumed his threatening posture. The two began to circle the main airport building, sizing each other up. Godzilla made the first move, charging at full speed once the building was no longer between them. Rodan responded by kicking up another gust of hurricane-force winds. Godzilla put his head down and tried to charge straight through the wind, but it was too much for him. He planted his feet and held his position for as long as he could. Rodan did not seem to have any difficulty keeping the gusts going, though.

Honda could feel Godzilla's anger and desire to use his energy attack. _Don't do it!_ Honda called to him. _You'll cause a firestorm!_

Godzilla growled, frustrated that his one surefire weapon could not be used. Struggling to keep at least one foot on the ground at a time, he turned his back to Rodan and reached for an airliner, intending to pick it up and throw it at him. However, before he could do that, Rodan soared at him and, with his large, powerful talons, grabbed him by the shoulders. Godzilla tried to shake free, but Rodan managed to lift him up and drop him onto the airport building.

Godzilla rolled around in the debris, trying to get upright again, but Rodan swooped down to attack with beak and talons, preventing him from standing up. He decided to use his tail again and succeeded in knocking Rodan to the ground. As he stood up, he slammed his tail down again and again onto the flying monster. The fourth time, however, Rodan caught his tail with his beak; jumping into the air, he yanked Godzilla off his feet and dropped him back down on his face. Again Godzilla started charging his atomic energy, and again Honda urged him to stop, but instead of releasing it in a blast, he just let the glow of his spikes get brighter and hotter, causing the enemy to back off for just long enough that he could regain his footing. Summoning all of his strength, Rodan climbed straight up until he was out of sight; when Godzilla turned to face him, he was gone. Godzilla spun around, lashing out in all directions with his tail, hoping to catch the pterosaur if it snuck up behind him. Then a shadow fell over him.

Honda was alarmed and yelled out loud, "Look out! He's right above you!"

Rodan had folded his wings and dived like a peregrine falcon, speeding toward his target from above. Godzilla looked up toward him and, before he could react, was struck full force on his left shoulder. Just as the impact occurred, the air displacement from Rodan's dive threw clouds of dirt and debris into the air, hiding both monsters from view. Honda cried out, sensing that Godzilla was in agonizing pain.

As the dust settled, Rodan was the first to emerge. He was dizzy from the fall, but he had managed to stop himself from hitting the tarmac and was not seriously harmed by the impact. He flew to another nearby building and perched there, jabbering mockingly at his foe.

Honda could not bare to look at Godzilla as he lay almost motionless on the ground in a pool of his own blood. His left arm was nearly severed at the shoulder; the bone had come loose from its socket and only some flesh and muscle tissue kept it attached to the rest of his body. A deep, bleeding gash ran from his neck to his abdomen. His back was twisted to the left almost at a right angle, and both legs had compound fractures below the knees. Godzilla whimpered and tried to stand up, but Rodan was on him in an instant, pecking and gnawing at the exposed soft tissue in his abdominal wound.

Honda screamed again and covered her eyes, but Godzilla was not done yet. The blue light returned, flowing from within his chest, temporarily blinding his attacker and washing him with intense heat. Rodan flew back to the nearest building and rested there, waiting for his eyes to fully recover.

Just then, Godzilla's enhanced healing factor kicked into high gear. First, his spine straightened and his fractured bones in his legs rejoined, permitting him to stand. He pushed his organs back into his abdomen and watched as the wound closed. Finally, he popped his left arm back into its socket, allowing the skin, flesh, and muscle to reform around it. The recovery process was not yet complete. He had lost a lot of blood, which would take a bit of time to replenish, and as a result he lacked the strength needed for a long, physically taxing fight. Unfortunately, Rodan was not going to leave him a choice. Though utterly baffled by Godzilla's healing, he made his move quickly while the other monster's back was to him.

_Behind you! _Honda warned him.

Godzilla swung hard with his tail, but Rodan anticipated this move and dodged at the last moment. He then began to circle Godzilla, staying well out of reach, going faster and faster with each pass. The repeated movement created a vortex that sucked up dust, debris and large objects, from abandoned crates on the runway to some of the smaller aircraft, causing them to pummel his enemy. Godzilla could barely move amidst the vortex, much less see clearly in front of him. He could feel strength returning to his legs as his blood production picked up. Unable to see Rodan clearly enough to get a clean shot at him with his breath and with the flying monster staying out of reach, he tried to plan out a strategy that would allow him to escape the vortex. He could not stay in there for long or he might run the risk of passing out from the low air pressure or being toppled if Rodan decided to swerve and strike him again.

After a minute or so, he decided to go with the simplest option and lunged straight forward into Rodan's path. Rodan was moving too quickly to avoid him in time, so they collided and the vortex dispersed violently. Godzilla managed to catch himself before being thrown flat to the ground. Rodan bounced once on the tarmac and picked himself up. He began to climb upward again, hoping to make another devastating dive attack, but he was too slow to ascend rapidly, and by the time Godzilla was upright again, he was well above the skyline but slowly enough to hit.

Honda yelled again, "He's got a clear shot!"

"Take it!" Yuma and Martin shouted back in unison.

Godzilla unleashed a burst of atomic fire, knocking Rodan out of the sky. The pterosaur crashed onto the tarmac and rolled, coming to a rest just at the end of the runway, where he lay completely still. Godzilla approached and looked over his defeated foe. Rodan's previously uninjured wing had taken the worst of the blast, leaving him without a fully functional wing and therefore unable to fly, and his impact with the tarmac had left him covered in bruises, scrapes and lacerations. Godzilla snarled and prodded at him with one foot, but there was no response. Rodan was not dead, but in his unconscious state, he was completely at his rival's mercy.

And yet, Godzilla did not strike a killing blow.

Confused, Honda tried to communicate with him, but there was no response. It seemed he was deep in thought, considering his options. He looked at the helicopter and made eye contact with her. Honda felt an influx of thoughts and feelings from his mind. She was overcome with emotion and began to sob. Godzilla looked back down at Rodan and gently lifted him up. Cradling his fallen foe like a child, he marched toward the waterfront.

"What's he doing?" asked Yuma. "Isn't he going to kill it?"

"_Honda?' _barked Martin._ "Are you still there? What's going on?"_

"He won," said Honda, happy that the battle was over but trying to keep her tears down. "Godzilla won!"

"_Excellent! I never doubted that he could pull it off. Where's Rodan's body?"_

"Godzilla's taking it with him."

"_He's what? Why is he doing that?"_

"I'll explain it to you in person later. General?"

"_What is it, Doctor?"_

"Please, let them pass. Don't try to stop Godzilla from taking Rodan away."

There was silence on the other end for several seconds. _"Alright,"_ Martin finally answered. _"I'll tell the troops to stand down. I don't know what your reasoning is, Honda, but I trust you. Don't make me regret this. Out."_

Yuma squeezed Honda's hand tightly. "Please tell me, Kumi. What _is_ Godzilal doing?"

"It seems his telepathy doesn't just work with me," Honda explained, still watching Godzilla as he approached the harbor. "When he knocked out Rodan, he was able to probe his mind and found out what he wanted."

"Which was?"

Honda turned to face him with a bittersweet smile. "To go home. Rodan was trapped in the volcano millions of years ago and remained dormant until the bombers woke him up. He didn't understand what had happened while he was asleep, so he went looking for his kind's old nesting grounds. But they're not there anymore. Rodan was alone and afraid; he was only trying to protect himself."

Surprised and touched, Yuma turned to watch the monsters. "So, what will Godzilla do with him now?"

"Take him home, of course. Godzilla doesn't take the lives of other animals for granted like we often do. Varan and Manda were violent and bloodthirsty; they needed to be put down to keep the peace. Rodan doesn't deserve death, though – not like this. Godzilla will take him to someplace far from here where he can nurse his wounds and adapt to this new world gradually."

"But where? Should we follow him?"

The helicopter pilot interrupted them. "We'll need to refuel shortly. I don't think we have enough to follow them."

"That's okay," said Honda. "I think what they need for now is some privacy. We may need Godzilla's help again someday. And when we do, he'll come back to fight for us again."

Honda and Yuma watched as Godzilla stepped into the ocean. He crouched down and draped Rodan gently over his back and shoulders like a cape, careful to avoid poking him hard with his dorsal plates. He then swam through Hakata Bay and out to sea. The rays of sunset turned the departing monsters into black silhouettes on an ocean of shimmering gold as they headed for parts unknown.

The Age of Godzilla had begun.


	8. A Ghost in the Depths

That same night, Yuma returned to the Okinawa base alone to study Varan's corpse in the research center's huge basement, which was actually a repurposed underground hangar. Martin watched over his team as they picked apart and examined flesh, bone, blood, and viscera. After hours of hard work, Yuma set down his tools with a yawn and walked to Martin's side.

"It's no good, General" he said. "Neither Manda nor Varan has anything like Godzilla's regeneration ability. It might be exclusive to him, after all."

"Maybe that's for the best. Any other creature with healing powers like that would be a grave threat indeed."

"Yes, but it also means that I can't go ahead with my plan." Showing an uncharacteristic lack of restraint, Yuma slammed his foot on the ground, the thud echoing through the basement. "Dammit! I was so close to finding a cure!"

"And you're sure that you can't just use one of Godzilla's cells for the process?"

"Positive. I already tried that; the cells are incompatible. Even if there was another monster with a similar ability, the result would probably be the same. We would need something with DNA more compatible to our own, something more...human."

* * *

Meanwhile, deep in the waters just off Kanagawa, something stirred from a sleep of more than a decade. Upon awakening, the loathsome monster saw the last year he had been conscious in vivid detail flash before his eyes. Betrayal. Torture. The atomic fire. A narrow escape. The time had come for the next phase, retribution. What was once human had become a living vessel for hunger and rage.

The beast could see a fishing boat overhead, turning back to port as the sky grew dark. His first target! Gnashing his jagged teeth and flexing his muscular arms, Gaira sped to the surface, his face twisted into a nightmarish expression of sadistic euphoria.

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
